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Vetdle Archive

Archive Case #104: Feline Cholangitis

Cat veterinary case - Medium - June 15, 2026

Clinical Clues

  1. A cat is presented for poor appetite, lethargy, and intermittent vomiting.
  2. The owner has recently noticed yellow discolouration of the ears and gums.
  3. On examination the cat is febrile and mildly painful in the cranial abdomen.
  4. Bloodwork reveals hyperbilirubinaemia and elevated liver enzyme activity.
  5. Ultrasound supports inflammation involving the biliary system.
  6. Inflammatory disease of the feline biliary tree commonly causes jaundice, fever, and anorexia.

Diagnosis

Feline Cholangitis

This case is most consistent with Feline Cholangitis because the cat has jaundice, fever, and biliary tract inflammation with compatible laboratory changes. The most important clues are the hyperbilirubinaemia and cranial abdominal pain, which make a purely intestinal disorder less likely.

Learning review

Review the case evidence

Use the paired clues to explain how the evidence in this cat case supports the provided diagnosis, Feline Cholangitis, then compare your reasoning with the case explanation.

Evidence checkpoints

Clues 1-2

  1. Clue 1: A cat is presented for poor appetite, lethargy, and intermittent vomiting.
  2. Clue 2: The owner has recently noticed yellow discolouration of the ears and gums.

Clues 3-4

  1. Clue 3: On examination the cat is febrile and mildly painful in the cranial abdomen.
  2. Clue 4: Bloodwork reveals hyperbilirubinaemia and elevated liver enzyme activity.

Clues 5-6

  1. Clue 5: Ultrasound supports inflammation involving the biliary system.
  2. Clue 6: Inflammatory disease of the feline biliary tree commonly causes jaundice, fever, and anorexia.

Self-review prompts

  1. After clues 1-2, what evidence from this cat case shaped your initial interpretation?
  2. When you compare clues 3-4 with clues 1-2, what changed in your reasoning about Feline Cholangitis?
  3. How do clues 5-6 align with the case explanation for Feline Cholangitis?

Educational Use

Vetdle archive cases are educational veterinary games for diagnostic reasoning practice. They do not provide veterinary advice, diagnosis, treatment, or professional medical guidance.